The Grand Adventure
by Chrisaa92
Summary: He is royalty. But she isn't. So how can two best friends stay together when the odds are against them? And what happens when feelings and dangers are thrown in the mix?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the rights to the characters from Bleach and so forth.

* * *

"Catch me if you can!" Laughed Yoruichi.

"That's not fair! You're too fast for me to catch!" Cried Kisuke as he tried to catch her.

It was a bright sunny day in the ever small, familiar clearing as Kisuke and Yoruichi played together in the mid-afternoon of the day. The roses were in full bloom and the grass of the park was as green as ever. The open clearing itself was nestled against the very edge of the valley that made up the grandest city of the world, Ryūsei no Machi, the City of the Falling Stars. Even though the city could be seen from miles away, it never occurred to Kisuke and Yoruichi that it was even there when they played tag or hide-and-go-seek. Kisuke and Yoruichi had been friends since they first met when they were younger. Kisuke was only 10 years old and Yoruichi was 11. Ever since they met, they were always with one another in some way. But their friendship, as they found out, had to be a secret.

Kisuke was part of a very wealthy family that owned much of the land that made up the country that they lived in. Kisuke was tall, even for his age, and held his head high that was full of unruly blonde hair. He never seemed to be happy due to his parents, but deep down he was content with what he had, though he didn't have many friends. His family, however, was stingy, and very uptight about keeping the family in line and respectable. His father, Byakuya, was a very famous and renowned war general. Often times, he would have to leave on extended trips out of the country for business with neighboring regions to settle disputes with rebels that threatened the people of Ryūsei no Machi. His mother, Rukia, was the daughter to the king that ruled over the country. As for being raised in a respectable family, she did not take too kindly to her son playing with the common folk of the city. She would often stay at the estate and ponder what curtains would go well with the furniture and Kisukes father would nod in approval, not paying much attention to what she was saying. Kisuke never saw much of his mother and father, and they hardly ever seemed to notice him half the time. Although, it was thanks to their lack of interest in him, that he was able to slip away from the estate to spend time with Yoruichi whenever he had the chance to.

Yoruichi on the other hand, was far from nobility. She always had a smile on her face when she walked the streets of Ryūsei no Machi, and was very out going in everything she did. She may have been older than Kisuke, but she was just a hair shorter than he was with dark hair and cat like eyes. Her family lived in the lower parts of Ryūsei no Machi with the other common folk. Kisuke was always envious of her because she would always tell stories of how much her mother and father would take her on trips to the market and go fishing when the time of the year was right. Her mother and father owned and lived in a small flower shop inside the city. The shop always did well in the spring, summer, and fall, but they always struggled to get by in the winter when they had to close shop for the season. They were happy with what they had; but it was ever still a life long struggle to find other work to help when the flowers died from the cold air that crept into winter.

Though Kisuke and Yoruichi were from two different parts of their own world, they still took great pleasure in each others company. When they met for the first time, Kisuke ran away from his estate after his father told him off about breaking a very old vase in the study. As he walked away from his house, he found an old and very beaten path that lead to the small clearing a mile or so away. He wandered aimlessly for hours around the tall trees that surrounded the place he discovered, when he finally sat down to rest. It wasn't long after that, when he peered up from his knees to see a small girl in front of him. She was dressed in ragged clothes which immediately told Kisuke that she was a commoner. To his surprise, she didn't seem to notice the wealthy looking clothes that he wore. It was odd, he thought, that a commoner would just stroll up and present herself in front of him. Most people bow in respect for him, but there was something different about her.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously. Kisuke only frowned as he buried his face in his knees again. If there was one thing he didn't want right now, it was to talk to some random stranger that he didn't know. He just put his face down and ignored her peering at him, until . . .

"Ya know . . . it's not nice to ignore a lady!" She yelled at him as she kicked him. Kisuke fell to his side holding his ankle furiously, glaring at what the little girl just did. She kicked him. Him!

"What was that for!?" Kisuke said as he yelled in pain. But the little girl just looked at him feeling irritated.

"When a lady walks up to you, you say hello! Where are your manners?" She said smiling. Kisuke looked at her confused as he saw her. He knew all about the 'proper' ways to greet people, but being nobility gave you the right to not say anything at all. With the pain in his leg, and feeling very angry at the girl, he turned away and buried his head between his legs again.

"Leave me alone, commoner. . ." He said quietly with a scowl.

"How dare you call me a commoner!" She said spitefully. "I have half a mind to kick you again you big jerk!"

"Go a head . . ." He said sadly. "It's not like my parents are going to care. . ."

The girl looked at Kisuke confused. After further inspecting Kisuke and taking note of how well dressed he was, and that he had no dirt clinging to his clothes, she said,

"Your nobility! You must be the son of that war general guy!" She said excitingly. "Wow! I actually met someone important!"

"I'm not important. . ." He said with tears filling the brims of his eyes. "No body cares about me. They all say the same thing about how great I am. But I don't care!"

"So what are ya doin' here?" Yoruichi asked curiously again.

"That's none of your business . . ." He said quietly. But she smiled and sat next to him and looked at him with great interest.

"Sooooooooooo?" She asked grinning.

"I . . . I ran away . . ." He said under his breath.

"Why would you do that?" She asked.

"Because I broke some stupid vase . . . my father got mad at me and told me to get out of his sight." He said harshly. Yoruichi giggled when she looked at him and asked,

"That's dumb. Why did you break it?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" He yelled as he rose to his feet and began to walk away. Yoruichi stood as well and started walking with him. All Kisuke wanted was to be alone. But thanks to her, he was now sad and angry at what happened.

"Do you have any friends?" She asked as they walked to the edge of the clearing that led to the path home for Kisuke. He stopped and looked at her with teary eyes. It was an odd question to ask out of no where, he thought.

"No . . . I don't . . ." He said shaking.

"Whys that?"

"My parents won't let me have common friends. They said that I don't need them . . . but I hate playing with the other noble kids. They're always being mean to me . . ." Kisuke was now in tears, but held back the whimper in his voice.

"Weeeeeeeeeeell . . . if you want . . ." Yoruichi began, "I could be your friend! And I promise I'll be nicer to you than those other boys!" Kisuke looked at her curiously as she spoke. Deep down, though he may have been young, the idea of having a friend sounded like fun. It would be nice to finally have someone to play with and talk to that didn't ridicule you every time you spoke out of turn. But her being a commoner wouldn't sit well with his family, and he knew this better than most. His mother always discouraged the idea of him going into the city and looking around at all the people and shops. 'Shopping for supplies and conversing with commoners is for servants, Kisuke!' is what she would often say.

"You can't be my friend. My mother would get angry at me . . . and my father too." He said sadly.

"They don't have to know!" She said grinning at him and putting her finger in front of her mouth. "It could be our little secret."

A secret? Was this girl crazy? There was no way, he thought, that he would be able to keep her a secret. The thought festered in his mind, but the idea of having a friend that wasn't a noble who didn't like him to begin with struck him as something better than what he had. With a nod, he wiped his face and held out his hand.

"Ok!" He said happily, "My name's Kisuke!" Yoruichi grabbed his hand and shook it furiously.

"Mine's Yoruichi!"

And with that, their friendship slowing began to grow. They set up dates when they could be together, and as always, the never missed the chance to go to the clearing and spend the day with each other. They would play until it would start getting dark in the late afternoon, then say their good byes and part ways until the next day when they would meet again. It never seemed to change for them as the seasons changed and the years grew ever more.

"OUCH!" Kisuke yelled as he fell to the ground. Yoruichi looked back, then walked to where he fell and laughed hard as he slowly stood up covered in grass.

"Ha! I knew you couldn't catch me!" She said laughing mockingly as Kisuke brushed the grass of his nice clothes. "Do all rich people suck at running!? Ha ha ha!"

"Shut up! I just tripped!"

"Well you'll have to try better than that if you wanna catch me!" Yoruichi said as she started to run away. Before she ran very far, Kisuke lunged at her and tackled her to the ground. With a look of triumph, he pinned her to the ground and laughed.

"Ha! Who's laughing now, Yoruichi?!" He said grinning while he sat on top of her.

"That's not fair! I wasn't ready!" She yelled as she struggled to get away.

"Admit it! I won!" He said looking smugly down at her. Yoruichi gave him a definite glare as she moved her arms up to push him off. As she did, her arm slipped from underneath Kisuke, and brought her face up to his. Kisuke looked at her in shock as her face reddened before he realized that their lips were touching together. When he pulled away from her, he saw his fate before him.

"Uh . . . Yoruichi?" He asked cautiously.

"Kisuke . . ." She growled as he scrambled off of her.

"Wait! Yoruichi! It was an accident! I didn't . . ."

WACK!

"You idiot! How dare you kiss me! I don't know how things work up there in that castle, but you ask permission before you make a move on a lady!"

"It was an accident!" Kisuke yelled as the hand print on his face reddened. With fists tightened and glaring at him, Yoruichi turned and strode away. Kisuke just stared as she walked in a fit of rage. To his surprise, she turned around before the edge of the clearing and waved back at him with a smile.

"Same time tomorrow?" She asked happily.

"Uh . . . sure!" He said as she walked and left him sitting with his hand on his face. He smiled, and began his journey home.

It wasn't long before he reached the grounds of the estate. The castle itself was fairly large. But from the inside, it seemed even larger and more ghostly then from the outside. The whole place was adorned in silver and purple vases, furniture, and so forth. Being a three story building, the stairs were well made with pearl steps like the floors and snaked its way all the way to the top. Quite a sight to see, but Kisukes thoughts were elsewhere. The thought of kissing Yoruichi was still swimming in his head. It happened so fast that he wasn't sure what to think about the whole thing. First she was mad at him, then she was happy and waved good bye? It was the weirdest thing to happen to him since the met. But a strange feeling grew in him. He had kissed her! His only real friend that he made some years ago, and he kissed her! Sure it was an accident, but was it really?

"Maybe she wanted me too . . ." He thought as he entered one of the doors into the house. "But there's no way! And it was an accident! An accident . . ." Before he could finish untying this mystery, Byakuya strode foreword and called to him.

"Come here, boy." He said sternly. Now this was a surprise. His father never wanted to talk to him. Though every time he did, it was usually to ridicule him about something he either did or DIDN'T do.

They walked up the winding staircase to the study where Rukia was waiting for them. She was in her usual dress gowns and wearing the same silver crown on her head. They walked inside as Byakuya closed the door, and sat lazily into his office chair with Rukia standing next to him. Kisuke sat on the far end of the study as his father began to speak.

"Where have you been running off to?" He asked coldly.

"I . . . I was playing . . . in the clearing off the grounds . . ." Kisuke said quickly. His parents knew that he often went there to play, but he never told them about Yoruichi.

"You have been going there a lot, boy. What are you doing?" Byakuya asked with his hands in front of his mouth.

"Playing . . ."

"A boy at your age shouldn't be playing in a forest somewhere." Rukia said harshly. "Your 10 years old now, and you need to start acting like it."

"But I like to go and play there!" Kisuke said with a worried expression.

"And why is that, boy?" His father asked with angry but curious eyes.

"Because . . . it's fun . . . and it's nice to get out for some . . . fresh air." Kisuke had never tried to lie to them before about his departures to the clearing. Then again, they never seemed to ask why, despite the fact that they knew where he was going at all times.

"Fine. I'll let this be for now. But we have more important things to discus." His mother said harshly.

"What do you mean?" Kisuke asked, relieved that the subject of him going off and playing Yoruichi was over.

"It has come to my attention that the princess of our neighboring rivals is the same age as you. Because the King wants to end the minor disputes to our country, he has decided that you are to be wed to the princess. This diplomatic convergence of the two countries would make us a very powerful force to reckon with. Therefore, you will be wed to her within the week."

This took Kisuke back for a minute when he realized what was happening. Arranged marriages were very common to the countries around them to join two or three together to make the countries prosper. But Kisuke loathed the idea of being tied to a girl, especially one that he had never even met before. He thought of what Yoruichi might think, and how she would react. He wanted to keep her as close as he could because she was his only friend. But what would happen if he was wed to another girl? Would he even get the chance to play with Yoruichi anymore? And a week! Only one week until he was married? His head began to hurt at the thought of how quickly things were happening before him.

"Well?" Asked Byakuya. "What do you have to say?"

Kisuke looked up from his twiddling thumbs at his father. "I . . . I'm not sure . . ." He said shaking. "I'm not sure if I like that idea . . . I don't want to get married . . ."

"Well, you don't have a choice." Byakuya said coldly. "I have already made the arrangements, and it's going to happen weather you like it or not. The princess will be here tomorrow, and you are to look your best and act accordingly."

"But I don't want to!" Kisuke yelled as he rose to his feet. "I don't even know if I will like her!"

"You will mind your tongue, Boy!" His mother shouted. "This is for the good of our country! And you WILL go through with this plan!"

Kisuke was livid with anger. He frowned at his mothers' response, and left the study with his fists balled up and a tight knot forming in his stomach. What was he going to do now? How could something like this be out of his control? It was as if he had no other choice or say in the matter at all! He rounded the corner of the long hallway to his room, and slammed the door closed. He then walked over to his bed, and flopped down on it with a thud.

"It's not fair." He said angrily. "I don't want to get married . . . at least not to . . . who ever she was." He laid in his bed for hours before nightfall came, and he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

So this is the next story I thought to write. I was in kind of a modern-ish mid-evil mood when I thought of another romance like this. I hope you all will enjoy it, and I have more chapters to add before this story is over.

Cheers.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the rights to any Bleach Characters and so forth.

His dreams were odd that night as he lay in his bed. But as is most dreams that Kisuke had, most were just random gibberish that made his head ache thinking about them. This dream was different from the rest. It felt real enough to him that he stirred restlessly in his sleep.

The dream itself brought him to his home. He was sitting in the study, waiting to see someone. His father and mother were there with their hands on his shoulders. When he slowly looked up from his seat, his eyes fell on a girl about his age in a stunningly white dress. The feeling he had was very off. He wanted to run. He wanted nothing more than to get away from that office, to get away from the girl, but to also get away from his parents. He hated them with such distaste, that he could barely stand to be around them anymore. The girl in the dress was walking over to him, like a sad ghostly figure in the night. When the girl was face to face with Kisuke, she lifted the veil that covered her face. She looked familiar though . . . different from what he thought. Startled at the recollection of what was going on in his dream, Kisuke sprang foreword in his bed, and was fully awake. He looked wearily around his bedroom, and peered out his window to see the sun starting to come up. From his window, he barely saw the clearing that Yoruichi and he played in.

With a sigh, Kisuke jumped from his bed and slumped over to his wardrobe to get dressed from what could possibly be the worst day of his life. Before he had one foot in his shoes, his mother Rukia walked through his door.

"The princess is here, boy." She said with a scowl. "You are to greet her with respect and treat her as our honored guest. You will behave as such in her presence."

"Yes Mother." he said glaring.

Kisuke was not happy to hear that the princess had shown up so quickly. He was hoping desperately that he would have the chance to see Yoruichi before she came, but now his plans were crushed when he walked lazily down the stairs with Rukia to the main front door of the estate. His father Byakuya was there waiting for them in his best military attire and his sword at his side. When Kisuke reached the landing of the stair, he walked over to his father and stood motionless.

"Our guests are here, boy." Byakuya said sternly. "Be on your best behavior, and speak only when spoken to."

"Yes, Father." Kisuke said distastefully. After the glare from his father turned to face the door, Byakuya walked to the door, and held it open.

The first to walk in was a very tall man with long red hair. He bore tattoos all over his body, though most of them were covered by the red clothes that hung from his body. He was somewhat of a slender man, though it was obvious that he was stronger than he looked. He strode over to Byakuya and bowed low to the ground.

"Greetings to you, Byakuya, and you, Lady Rukia of Ryūsei no Machi. It is an honor to be greeted in your home." The man said formally.

"It is an honor to have you here as well, Lord Renji. Welcome to Ryūsei no Machi. I trust the journey was not to long for you and your daughter?" Byakuya said without blinking. To Kisukes surprise, this Renji as they called him, seemed to have a bit of a smart attitude when he spoke with a smile. He thought for sure his father would not approve of his behavior, but Byakuya only looked as though he was giving as much respect to this man for the sake of the nation. Renji looked up from his bow and smiled widely.

"Despite the ache in my back from sitting in that blasted automobile all day long, it was none to bad. I swear, ridding a horse made more sense than that blasted thing. Oh! And this must be Master Kisuke." Renji said grinning at Kisuke.

"Yes." Said Byakuya coldly. "This is Kisuke. He is our son."

"Well I figured as much. Handsome lad as well. That's good to know. My daughter should be happy to meet him." Renji said smiling. "How do you do kiddo?"

"I am well, thanks." Kisuke said plainly. Renji seemed like a nice guy from how little Kisuke had been with him already. Though Kisuke knew better than to judge a man based on how he presented himself before royalty.

"We are most grateful to have you here Lord Renji. And our condolences to your late wife." Rukia said with a small bow.

"Thank you." Renji said quickly. Obviously what Kisukes mother had said brushed against a nerve in Renji, though he didn't show it. "Ah, here is my daughter, and princess of my county, Lady Rangiku." Kisuke looked past Renji at the tall girl that was striding towards her father. She was wearing the same colors as Renji in a long dress that barely touched the floor. She was the same age as Kisuke, though she looked a few years older than he did. She had a very slender looking body, and long reddish brown hair to boot. She looked very much like a lady that was already in bloom judging by the curvature of her body, but Kisuke tried not to stare. Maybe she wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all!" She said with a smile as she looked at Byakuya and Rukia with a smile and bow much like her fathers.

"It's an honor to meet you as well, Lady Rangiku." Byakuya said formally. When Rangiku looked up, she saw Kisuke and bowed again.

"It's nice to meet you Master Kisuke. I'm Rangiku."

"It's nice to meet you as well." Kisuke said formally. Though she may have been beautiful for her age, Kisukes thoughts were else where. He was thinking about Yoruichi and how long he would have to wait before he could see her.

"Kisuke." Byakuya said coldly. "Why don't you show Lady Rangiku around the estate? We have business to discuss with Lord Renji before the day is over.

"Yes Father." Kisuke said bitterly. With brisk foot steps, Kisuke motioned for Rangiku to follow him. She smiled and bowed one more time to Byakuya and Rukia before her and Kisuke set off upstairs. As they walked, Rangiku was very quiet. She walked with her head held high and nose in the air as if you was trying to smell something that she might not like. Kisuke, feeling out of place and nervous, tried to speak to her.

"So . . . What part of your country are you from?" He asked cautiously.

"I'm sorry. Were you speaking to me?" She asked with a growl. "It is very impolite to speak to a lady before she speaks to you, Kisuke."

"I'm sorry m' Lady." He said quickly. "I was only asking a question."

"Well, you shall not receive my answer until I decide to give it." She said coldly with her nose in the air. Was this really how it was going to be? Was he really going to be stuck with this? In his mind, there was no way this could be happening. As he predicted before they even met, he had a gut feeling that she was going to be just like all the other noble children. Stuck up and mean when you tried to speak with conviction. As they made their way to the study, Kisuke decided that he was not about to be stuck with this girl for very much longer. And so, a small plan of escape formed in his mind. As they walked past the study, he motioned for them to go inside.

"And this is the study, m' Lady. My father spends most of his time in here." Kisuke said shortly.

"It seems very old and muggy in here." Rangiku said harshly. "My fathers' is much larger, and I can at least breathe in his. The study is very distasteful."

"I apologize m' Lady." He said quickly.

"Yes, you should be." She said coldly. As she looked around the room, Kisuke started to back away from the study and towards the door. But before he could turn the handle, Rangiku beckoned to him.

"Where are you going!? It is very impolite to leave a lady with out explanation!" She shouted at him.

"I apologize, m' Lady. I have to . . . erm . . . leave you here for a moment. I need to . . ." Kisuke said quickly, though he wasn't sure his plan would work.

"Oh just go. I shall await your return shortly." She said with a scowl as she lift a large book off the wall and sat to read it. Kisuke left the study and bolted down the hall towards the back of the estate. He could hardly believe his luck as he crept past the main hall. As he turned though, he ran right into Renji. He fell to the ground, and he peered up at the red haired man with fear. It was odd, he thought, that Renji was alone and wandering the halls of his home. But what was worse, was the fact that he was caught.

"Hello there lad. Where is my daughter, Rangiku?" Renji asked with a smile.

"She is in the study. . ." Kisuke said frightened. To his surprise, Renji held his hand out, and helped him to his feet and gave him a wink.

"Gave her the slip did ya?" Renji said with a grin.

"Erm . . ."

"Don't be too long will you?" He asked slyly. "I would hate for the future prince of Ryūsei no Machi to get in trouble."

"Uh . . . Right." Kisuke said surprised as he quickly walked away.

"I know my daughter might seem stuck up, but she gets that from her mother, Master Kisuke. I can understand why you wanted to get away from her." Renji said laughing. "But I also know that you didn't very much like the idea of being wed at this age. Well, neither does Rangiku. So, if you're going to run off, you had better do it quick."

"Um . . . Thanks." Kisuke said confused.

"That was weird." he thought to himself. But no matter what happened, he was determined to leave as quickly as possible out the back and meet Yoruichi.

Kisuke was now on his way to the path that led out to the clearing to meet Yoruichi. Before he reached the path, he could hear his father calling his name. It was time to run! If they found out that he left for the clearing, there was no stopping them from finding him. With quick feet and his heart beating very fast, Kisuke ran away from the estate to the clearing where he would meet Yoruichi. Crazy was the only word he could find to describe that whole situation. There was no way that he was going to be stuck another second with Rangiku.

When the path ended, and the trees parted, Kisuke saw Yoruichi sitting against a small tree waiting for him.

"About time, Kisuke!" She yelled happily. He dashed over to her, and bent over on his knees to catch his breath.

"Sorry, Yoruichi." He said through hard breaths. "I was held up."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked curiously. Kisuke then told her about the events that took place at his house. How he was to be wed to Rangiku, how he met Renji and Rangiku just this morning, and how much he already despised Rangiku. Yoruichi gave a frightened squeak as he told her about his fate with Rangiku, and laughed when he decided to give her the slip.

"She sounds like a real nasty piece of work!" She said laughing at Kisuke. "I almost feel bad for you, Kisuke."

"I don't even like her!" He said coldly. "And my father and mother expect me to be wed to the witch!"

"Don't you have a choice in the matter?" Yoruichi asked smiling.

"No. They said I have to do this whether I like it or not."

The smile from Yoruichis face now disappeared. Kisuke looked at her and saw that she was sad, and somewhat upset when she said, "Ok." shortly. Why was she sad thought? As quickly as he could, Kisuke said,

"It's not like I want to . . ."

"I know, Kisuke . . . But . . ." Yoruichi was now twiddling her thumbs nervously.

"I just don't know what to do, Yoruichi . . . I wish I could get away from them. All those people that are called my 'family', I hate them all. My mother, my father, and especially that jerk Rangiku . . ." Kisuke looked at Yoruichi. She looked like she was going to cry for a moment, but when she looked up, she looked like she was thinking of something.

"Well . . . This may not be what you want . . . But if you really wanted to leave . . . you could . . . stay with me?" She said quietly.

"Would your parents allow that?" He asked, stunned at the question.

"They know that I have a friend that I like to play with while I'm here, but they don't know that it's you, Kisuke."

"I . . . I don't know if I could. Mother and Father would be looking for me every where. And they would probably put who ever was holding me in jail . . ." He said sadly. To his surprise, Yoruichi was now standing with her fists in little balls. She put out her hand to help Kisuke up, and said sternly,

"Do you want to stay where you are!? Or are you gonna do something about it!"

"Well . . . I don't want to stay, Yoruichi . . ." He said quietly.

"Then you're coming with me!" She said as she grabbed his hand and started walking towards the edge of the forest that led into Ryūsei no Machi.

"Wait! What about my things!?" he asked surprised. She stopped in front of him abruptly and faced away from him.

"I don't want to see you with that . . . that . . . Toad! If you go back there, there is no way your parents are going to let you out of their sight . . . you can either come with me, or go back . . ." She was facing him with determined eyes. It was a side of Yoruichi that Kisuke never seen before. If she was really willing to have him come with her, then that was more that could be said for his parents. And especially Rangiku who already seemed to hate him. But there was more than what she was letting off for why she refused to see him get married to Rangiku.

"Well!?" She said loudly with Kisuke in mid thought.

This was a big decision that Kisuke had to make. On one hand, he would be stuck with Rangiku for the rest of his life. On the other hand, he would live with his only real friend in the world, Yoruichi. But what he would be doing would surly get him, and more importantly, Yoruichi into a lot of trouble if they were found out. He thought about what his mother and father would do, what they would think of him disappearing. If he ran away, he would never be able to go back. His family would scorn him for the rest of his life, and his fate would be sealed with Rangiku.

"I . . . I . . . " He stuttered trying to find the words.

"Kisuke . . ." Yoruichi said quietly. "If you want to go back, I won't stop you. But if you really want to leave . . . if you really don't want to get married to her . . . then you have to trust me."

This was it. He had to decide now what he was to do. He looked at Yoruichi for an answer, but he only saw determination in her eyes. He decided that if she was going to risk it, then could do it was well.

"Ok." He said sternly. "I'll go. We need to get out of here before I'm discovered. They'll be looking for me."

"Ok. But first . . ." She said with a small smile. Kisuke could hardly believe what she was doing. She took the sleeves of his nice shirt and ripped them off.

"Take off your shoes, Kisuke." She said as she picked up some dirt. When he had removed his shoes, she took the dirk and smeared it all over his clothes, the stood back and nodded. "That should do it!" She said happily.

"What was that for!?" He asked looking at himself.

"You need to look like a commoner if you're going to blend in, Kisuke. Your family will be looking for you everywhere. If you look and act the part, then they'll never find you."

"Oh, that makes sense . . . I guess." He said looking at himself covered in dirt. Yoruichi grabbed his hand gently and started leading him away from the clearing.

"Thank you, Yoruichi." He said quietly.

"Don't thank me yet, Kisuke. We still have to make it into town first." She said winking.

Before the clearing was out of sight, Kisuke looked back one more time at the place where he and Yoruichi first met. So many memories were flashing in his mind as they left the clearing. He was on his own now. There was no going back to where he once was. He had to leave it all behind. But in the rush of leaving, he was happy. He would never again have to be around his despicable father and mother, and more importantly, that thing that they called Rangiku. He was, he thought, alone in a strange new world. Thought he wasn't quite alone. He had Yoruichi, and that was all that mattered now. With high hopes, and good spirits, Kisuke and Yoruichi ran far away from the clearing, and headed strait to the lower parts Ryūsei no Machi.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the rights to any Bleach characters and so forth.

"Kisuke!" Yelled Kisukes' father as he stormed through the estate.

"Where has that boy run off too now?" Rukia asked coldly.

Kisukes' mother and father had just finished discussing the details about the wedding with Lord Renji downstairs in the living room. It had been somewhat of a short discussion as to what they were going to do as far as making peace with Renji and his country. Though once they were finished, Renji insisted that he went to go and fetch Kisuke for them to tell him that he was to be hailed. Without a second thought as to what may have actually happened, Byakuya waved Renji away and stayed within the living room to talk with Rukia. It wasn't long before Renji rounded the corner and bumped into Kisuke. Though surprised, Renji simply spoke to Kisuke about Rangiku before Kisuke took off away from him.

"That turned out quicker than I had hopped." Renji thought as he smiled to himself.

When Kisuke ran away from Renji after ditching Rangiku, Renji walked up the spiral staircase to the study, where Rangiku sat reading a very old book. She looked up and smiled at her father, but he only exchanged the gesture with a cold look of satisfaction.

"Well?" Renji asked with a glare.

"He took off?" Rangiku asked smiling.

"Yes. Good job." He said with a sneer

"Then it's time?"

"Yep."

Rangiku then stood up and walked over to her father.

"You know, I really did like that boy." Rangiku said with a giggle. "Too bad we'll never see him again."

As they both rounded the corner, Byakuya and Rukia rounded the corner on the opposite side. Byakuya looked coldly at Renji, then to Rangiku when he noticed that Kisuke was gone.

"Where is the boy?" Byakuya asked directly to Renji.

"Rangiku says that he gave her the slip." Renji said with a smile. "I guess they didn't take to kindly to each other."

"Damn that child. I told him to behave. I am sorry Lord Renji. I hope you can forgive the boys' attitude."

"It is not trouble Lord Byakuya. I kinda thought this might happen." Renji said with a grin. "If you want, I will send my guards to fish for him around the property. I'm sure that he must not have gone very far."

"No." Said Rukia coldly. "We will send our own watch to look for him."

"Then I shall take my leave then?" Renji asked with an odd face.

Byakuya looked at Renji with a very straight face. Though he felt something was odd in the sense of Kisuke just running off to get away from Rangiku, he pushed the thought away from himself and spoke once again to Renji.

"That will not be necessary, Lord Renji." Byakuya said quickly. "You may stay and wait for us to fetch him. As soon as we have him back, we will tell him what we have decided."

"As you wish, Byakuya." Renji said as he bowed low to the floor and smiled.

Byakuya bowed low and then walked away with Rukia around the estate to try to find Kisuke. When they were out of sight, Renji looked at Rangiku with a sneer and gave her a definite nod. Like all the pieces falling together in a sinister plan, she smiled and ran out of the front doors to the automobile that they had ridden in. When she had reached it, she looked in the window. Inside, were Renjis own hired guards. They were much more battle worn and armed to the teeth with an assortment of knives and swords. Though there were only three of them, they were the very best at what Renji had hired them to do. Rangiku slipped into the automobile and all three of the men looked at her.

The first man was a very burly looking man with scars all over his body from fights that he had never once lost. His hair was slicked back into long thick strands, and wore an eye patch. Though it was rumored that he still had his covered eye, no one ever dared to ask, because one wrong question would get you a sword through your gut faster than you can call for help. Quick on his feet, despite his size, was Kenpachis' most feared trait.

The second man wasn't as big as Kenpachi, but was just as menacing. He was completely bald, but seeing as how he shaved his head, no one seemed to notice otherwise. If you looked at him in any way that he disapproved, it was the last mistake you ever made. He too was quick on his feet, but Ikkaku was without a doubt faster than Kenpachi. Thought sheer power was something Ikkaku could never match with Kenpachi.

The third man however, was much different from Ikkaku and Kenpachi. He was very slender and always seemed to have his eyes closed. The last person to think he was asleep was never going to wake up from his deep sleep again. Ichimaru was very much human, but seemed to have a lot of the tendencies of a snake. He was a very sly talker, and seemed to take a great joy out of just seeing his prey beg for their lives before he swiftly, or slowly, ended them with the same sinister smile he wore all the time.

"He has taken off. Probably somewhere close by and out of the house." Rangiku said strictly as they nodded in approval. "You know what to do."

With an approval from all of the hired thugs, they slipped out of the automobile and ran to around the estate, making quite sure not to be seen. It wasn't long before Ichimaru reached the trail where Kisuke had run through and hailed Kenpachi and Ikkaku to follow.

"He has gone through here." Ichimaru said with a sneer. "I can smell him."

"That, or the foot prints he left behind are pretty obvious, ya creepy bastard." Ikkaku said with a frown.

"Creepy you say? I wonder how odd it might be for you to wake up one morning and notice you no longer have your manhood on you anymore." Ichimaru said, slightly pulling out his knife.

"You would be dead on the floor before that happened!" Ikkaku yelled quietly. Right before either of them took another step towards each other, Kenpachi stepped in.

"Will you knuckle-heads get a grip? We have a job to do. Ichimaru, are you sure this is where he went." Kenpachi said with a glare.

"Pretty damn sure. Let's get going, shall we?" Ikkaku glared at Ichimaru, but he didn't want to piss of Kenpachi anytime soon. So the three of them walked quietly on to the path and followed the little footsteps that lead to the clearing. They walked to very center of the clearing, but Kisuke was nowhere to be found.

"I thought you said this was where he went, you rat bastard!" Ikkaku said pointing at Ichimaru. But Ikkaku ate his own words quickly after when Kenpachi picked up the scraps of fine clothing that were left on the ground.

"He was here. There was either a scuffle and he was killed, or he was kidnapped." Kenpachi said coldly.

"I would go with kidnapped." Ikkaku said with a scowl. "There's no blood on the ground, and a kidnapper, I'm guessing, would have left something behind in a hurry."

"Fat chance." Ichimaru said laughing quietly to himself. "Why would a kidnapper leave the sleeves of a rich boys clothes lying on the ground? The clothes themselves are probably worth more than a house these days."

"What are you suggesting, Ichimaru?" Kenpachi asked coldly.

"This kid is long gone, boys. He ran away from here before we were even called to find him."

"So what are we going to do?" Ikkaku asked.

"Well, we can either run after him, or we can let him be. Either way, that kid is not coming back any time soon, or at all. Frankly, he'll be dead before we reach him. I say, we just let him go."

"What does that mean for Renji? He's going to be pretty pissed when we tell him this." Kenpachi said sternly.

"Ah, who cares?" Ikkaku said smiling. "That kid just did our job for us. Renji'll be pleased either way." Without a second thought, Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Ichimaru walked away from the center of the clearing, and quietly snuck back into the automobile where Renji and Rangiku were waiting for them. Renji smiled when he saw them, but his smile disappeared when he saw that they were returning empty-handed.

"What happened to the boy?" Renji asked glaring.

"He is long gone, Renji." Ichimaru said slyly. "He was gone before we found him."

"We found these on the ground." Kenpachi said holding out the ripped sleeves of Kisukes clothes. Renji quickly grabbed the sleeves and looked intently at them. When he was satisfied that they were Kisukes, he put them in his automobile and looked at the three hired hands.

"Are you sure he is gone?" Renji asked coldly.

"Yep." Ichimaru said happily. "He was long gone when we got there, and he ain't coming back. He'll be dead before we even find him from what I reckon."

"I suppose that's good enough." Renji said frowning. "I want you three back in this blasted automobile. You are to wait until I come back. We will be leaving shortly." Renji reached back into the car and pulled out Kisukes sleeves and beckoned for Rangiku to follow him into the estate to find Byakuya and Rukia. It wasn't long before Byakuya came striding down the stairs with Rukia at his side to find Renji and Rangiku standing side by side, and Renji holding something in his hands.

"What is that you have there, Renji?" Byakuya asked looking at the cloth in Renjis' hand.

"I took it upon myself to try and find your son. But this is all I found. . ." Renji said with a faint voice. Rukia swiped the sleeves from Renjis' hand, and examined it closely before realizing it was part of Kisukes shirt.

"What . . . what has happened to our son?" She asked getting very red in the face.

"I do not know. But that was all I found." Renji said quietly.

"You mean what your hired hands found, Renji?" Byakuya said coldly.

"I'm afraid I do not know what you mean, Byakuya." Renji said blankly.

"Do not lie to me, Renji. My guards report three men that they had seen inside your automobile running into the clearing that Kisuke often runs to."

"I just thought that my men might be able to help find him." Renji said calmly. In Byakuyas mind, there was something really wrong with this whole situation. Why would Renji, after being told not to, send his own guards to find Kisuke? Byakuya stared grimly at Renji before he began to walk away. But not before parting with a warning to Renji.

"I will only say this once, Renji." Byakuya was now staring straight at Renji in the face with his hand on the hilt of his sword. "If my son is not found within the week, you will be to blame for his disappearance."

"I assure you, if my men could not find him, then he has run off." Renji said with a blank smile. "Good day to you, Byakuya, Lady Rukia." With a light bow, Renji walked away from Byakuya and Rukia to his automobile and was soon seen trailing down the cobble road away from Byakuyas estate.

"What does this mean for us now?" Rangiku asked Renji as the car sped along the road.

"It doesn't matter. Everything went according to plan. But there is one thing that is troubling me." Renji said staring contently out the window. "If Kisuke is found within the week, then our plan will have been for nothing. We have to make sure that he is gone. Everything hinges on Kisuke staying missing and not being found."

"I already told ya, Renji." Ichimaru said quietly. "That kid is either dead or long gone from here."

"That's not a chance I want to take, Ichimaru." Renji said scowling. "I want him found. Dead, alive, I don't care.

"Why not just go through with the plan before the week is up?" Ikkaku asked grinning.

"Do you think I haven't already thought of that? Byakuya will surely bump up his guard around his estate and keep looking for little Kisuke. But I will not go into details just yet. I want you three to stay here in Ryūsei no Machi. Search everywhere for that little kid, and if he gives you too much trouble, kill him."

"We'll be killed for sure if we are caught with the body for Byakuya and Rukias son in our arms." Kenpachi said glaring at Renji. "Does this mean we are martyrs now? That was not part of the contract, Renji."

"If you have to kill him, simply give him to a guard or do whatever you have to, to make sure it is made public that he is dead. Either that, or made certain that he stays lost."

"And if we can't find him within the week?" Ikkaku asked.

"Then it doesn't matter. Kill him if you can. But if not, then just make sure you're out of my way when the hammer falls on Ryūsei no Machi." They were now within the limits of Ryūsei no Machi when the automobile stopped and Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Ichimaru stepped out. As Renji and Rangiku left Kenpachi, Ikkaku and Ichimaru, Renji rested back into the comfort of a now half empty seat and sighed heavily.

"So what happens now, Father?" Rangiku asked.

"We go back to the home land and prepare. We will march within the week before Byakuya has time to mobilize, and crush him when he is weak. Once we have taken Ryūsei no Machi, then we shall begin our master plan for this whole country."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the rights to any Bleach characters and so forth.

It wasn't long before Kisuke and Yoruichi had reached the heart of lower Ryūsei no Machi. Most of the buildings in this part of the city were out of date with the newer buildings that had been built for the other people of upper Ryūsei no Machi. But it had a very classic theme to it that Kisuke thought was interesting. Some buildings had been repaired, and others looked as though they might stand for another hundred years if given the chance. As the two of the walked down the streets of lower Ryūsei no Machi, Kisuke couldn't help but notice that Yoruichi was in a better mood than she had been earlier. He even thought that she had skipped a few times as they were holding hands while walking down the streets of the city. It may have been odd, but Kisuke was more distracted at the city itself than his best friend.

Before too long, Yoruichi had led Kisuke to her parents flower shop. The shop was nestled around the center of a long line of toy and clothing and sweet shops that all had their doors open and with people bustling in and out, buying their wares as they came and went. Yoruichi tugged on Kisuke and led him inside her parents flower shop.

"Mom! Dad! I'm back!" Yoruichi said grinning widely. "And I brought my friend with me!" There was a flurry of movement when Yoruichis father appeared before them. His face was somewhat dirty with the work of the day that was still going on around him. Even his glasses were mired with dirt and grime. He was a very skinny man and also very tall, but Yoruichi had always said that he was the life of the whole house, beside his mother. It was odd though, to see that Yoruichis hair actually matched her fathers in a small shade here and there.

"So! This is the boy that I have heard so much about!" He said grinning eagerly. "My name is Ishida! What is yours, son?" Kisuke was very taken back by this question. Before Kisuke made the mistake of using his actual name, Yoruichi kicked him without Ishida noticing and answered his question for him.

"This is Ichigo." She said with a smile, and winked at Kisuke. Ichigo? Was she serious?

"Well! It's a pleasure to meet ya, Ichigo!" Ishida said shaking Kisukes hand. "So what brings you to out lovely home?"

"Well . . ." Yoruichi said looking at the floor. "Ichigo needs a place to stay for a while. If that's ok?" Ishida looked at Yoruichi, then to Kisuke, then back to Yoruichi.

"Your boyfriend needs a place to stay?!" Ishida asked sarcastically. Kisuke got very red in the face and Yoruichi walked up and kicked Ishida in the leg.

"He's . . . He's not my boyfriend!" She said glaring at Ishida. "He's just my friend, dad!" Even though Ishida was rubbing his leg and laughing, he rose up from the floor and grinned at Yoruichi.

"As long as it's ok with your mother, then it's ok with me. Welcome to our home, Ichigo!" Ishida said smiling. Kisuke smiled back at Yoruichi and Ishida and bowed low to the floor.

"Thank you very much for having me here, sir." He said respectfully. Ishida looked at Kisuke with a funny expression, and then smiled.

"Such a well-mannered guy, Yoruichi. He'll make a great husband for you!" And once again, Kisuke was red in the face, and Ishida was again, on the floor holding his leg.

"Well Ichigo, just call me Ishida if you like." Ishida said smiling from the floor.

"Ok, Ishida, sir." Kisuke said smiling. What Yoruichi said about her father was an understatement. He really was the life of the house. But probably more so than Kisuke thought he was.

"So where is mom, dad?" Yoruichi asked Ishida as he began to stroll away.

"I think she is upstairs getting dinner ready." Ishida said over his shoulder.

"Ok! We'll see you later then, dad!" Yoruichi said tugging on Kisukes hand as she led him upstairs to where they lived. Upstairs from the flower shop was much different from downstairs. The floor was very clean and everything was well organized. Near the edge of the table was Yoruichis mother pouring what looked like soup into three smaller bowls for Yoruichi and Ishida. Yoruichis mother was a very beautiful woman as Kisuke found out. She was only a few inches shorter than Ishida, but her hair was very long and had a honey brown-ish look to it.

"Hey mom!" Yoruichi said smiling.

"Hello there sweetheart." Yoruichis mom said smiling. "Is this the boyfriend I have heard so much about?"

"He's just my friend, mom!" Yoruichi said with a flushed look on her face. But her mother just laughed and walked over to Kisuke and gently shook his hand.

"My name is Orihime. What is yours young man?" She asked with a smile. Kisuke blushed a little bit at the comment from earlier, but quickly shook it out of his head and smiled.

"My name is Ichigo. It's nice to meet you." Kisuke said grinning.

"And such good manners too." Orihime said smiling. "So what brings you here, Ichigo?"

"He needs a place to stay before he gets married to our little Yoruichi!" Ishida said behind them. It was like Yoruichi was used to giving Ishida what he deserved for his comments because as soon as he finished his sentence, she immediately wheeled around and kicked him again and again.

"For the last time! He is not my boyfriend!" Yoruichi yelled as she kicked her father.

"Why do you do this to your own dad!?" Ishida yelled sarcastically whimpering. Kisuke simply looked away and looked at Orihime with a very shy expression.

"I was wondering if I could stay here for a little while. If that's ok . . ." Kisuke asked Orihime with a quiet expression.

"Well, what about your parents, Ichigo?" Orihime asked. Kisuke shuttered at the thought of his parents back at the estate. He became very solemn and looked down at his feet while fidgeting with his hands in his pockets. When Orihime noticed he was having a hard time saying what he meant to, she knelt down and hugged him gently.

"It's ok, Ichigo. You don't have to explain." She said softly smiling. The whole moment, Kisuke was very confused. Someone he only just met, was actually hugging him? What exactly was going on, Kisuke didn't know. But the moment Orihime let go, Kisuke was looking at the ground with tears running down his face. Not once had Kisukes mother ever hugged him for support. Whenever he had hurt himself or got into a tussle with another boy, she would always just tell him off and send him to his room for being clumsy. Not once had Kisuke been hugged or even loved for the sake of just the feeling of being loved. Orihime saw Kisuke and wiped his tears from his face. She smiled at him and hugged him again briefly before grabbing another bowl for Kisuke and filling it up with soup. By now, Yoruichi and her father had stopped their wrestling match and were sitting at the table, eagerly waiting for their food. Kisuke looked at them all and smiled before sitting next to Yoruichi at the table and digging into the meal that was set out for them.

When dinner was over and even more antics were said on Ishida part for the marriage of Kisuke and Yoruichi, which always ended with bruised legs, Kisuke and Yoruichi walked across the dining room to a small bedroom that was Yoruichis and they both sat on the bed together.

"So what do you think?" Yoruichi asked Kisuke with a smile. "My dad can be kind of a snob most of the time, but he is really funny and a very good dad once you get to know him. And my mom seems to like you too!"

"Your mom is really nice, Yoruichi." Kisuke said with a smile. "My mom never hugged me when I was at my house." His smile broke and he became solemn again.

"Mom is really nice. She looks out for me and my dad all the time. When she heard I had made a friend, she was very excited and wanted to meet you right away. But I told her that you couldn't most of the time."

"Does she know about my parents?" Kisuke asked.

"Only from what I have told. All I said was that they were very strict. But obviously that was an understatement." Yoruichi said smiling. But Kisuke had tears running down his face again. Yoruichi smiled and hugged him, and he hugged her back. He had never once been the company of such nice people. He assumed that Yoruichis parents would be just like his mother and father. But he was now more than happy at the fact that he was wrong. When Yoruichi and Kisuke broke from their hug, there was a small knock at the door.

"Yoruichi dear, could you come here for a minute." Orihime asked through the door.

"Coming!" Yoruichi said smiling. "Make yourself at home." She said to Kisuke as she walked up to the door and followed her mother downstairs. Kisuke just sat on Yoruichis bed for a while as he waited for Yoruichi to come back. The room itself was fairly small, with only a bed, dresser, and a small chest full of what Kisuke thought was old toys and a random assortment of things that Yoruichi had collected over the years of living in the house. After a few minutes, Kisuke felt very awkward just sitting on Yoruichis bed. He stood up and walked over to the door and peered through the open space out to the dining room and kitchen. There was no one there, but Kisuke could hear Yoruichi and her parents talking downstairs. Now, Kisuke had never eavesdropped on anyone in his life before, but he was very curious to hear what was being discussed downstairs. As quietly as he could, he slunk over to the stairway and listened intently to what was being said.

"So what you're saying," Ishida began. "Is that Ichigo doesn't have a home anymore?"

"Well . . . kind of." Yoruichi said nervously. "Ichigos parents are . . . very strict people. And they hardly ever notice him. He has told me that he never liked it there . . . so I asked him if he wanted to stay with us."

"That's all fine, dear," Orihime stepped in. "But won't his parents be looking for him?"

"No. They won't." Yoruichi said sternly. "They don't even care about him! He was going to be wed to some . . . witch of a girl in a few days,"

"Wait, he was going to be wed?" Ishida asked confused. "Like an arranged marriage?"

"Yeah! And against his own will too! He didn't even want to be married!"

"Well I can see that." Ishida said. "But arranged marriages only happen between important people like Sir Byakuya and Lady Rukia. Don't they have a son that's about Yoruichis age?" There was a long silence before Kisuke accidently slipped and fell on the stairs. Ishida and Orihime looked at Kisuke and Ishida ran over to help him up.

"I'm sorry!" Kisuke said bowing low when he was helped to his feet. "I didn't mean to . . . I mean . . ."

"Oh, it's ok dear." Orihime said smiling. "We were talking with Yoruichi."

"Yep! Now it's off to bed with the both of you!" Ishida said grinning. "We have a big day tomorrow! So we have to make sure we get lots of sleep!"

"Wait . . ." Kisuke said quietly. "I . . . um . . ." But he was cut off when Orihime touched his shoulder.

"What is it?" She asked.

"I . . . I don't want to go back . . ." Kisuke said through tearing eyes. "I don't want to go back home . . . My parents don't care about me at all . . . and I hate them. They never cared about me when I was in trouble . . . and they were going to wed me against my will . . . Please . . . please don't make me go back . . ." Orihime looked at Ishida with a concerned look. What they before them was a kid that was important enough to be wed against his will for god knows what reason. But there was something conflicting in the way that they looked at each other. They knew that the best thing to do was to take Kisuke back to his family. But Orihime just smiled and led Ichigo back to Yoruichis room and said goodnight to him and Yoruichi before she closed the door. When the door was closed, Ishida beckoned for Orihime to follow him downstairs. When they reached the little flower shop, Ishida knew already what Orihime was going to say.

"What do you think?" Ishida asked Orihime.

"I don't know. He really doesn't want to go back, does he?" She asked with worried eyes.

"I can see that. But he sounds like he might be very important to his family."

"I know . . ." Orihime said as she looked down at the floor. Ishida looked at her and knew that she wanted to keep Kisuke with them. "But I don't want him to go back. It sounds awful where he is from. He seemed to cry when I hugged him, Ishida. Like he had never had anyone care for him before . . ."

"I know. But I'm not sure keeping him here is the best idea." Ishida said calmly.

"But we don't even know who he belongs to . . . And I can't imagine him being happy while he is there with his family."

"But we aren't his family, Orihime."

"So what!?" She asked frantically. "He must really hate it there! He's only a child! And it's like he has never been able to have any love in his life at all. Yoruichi told me that she was his only friend . . . Ishida . . . please." Ishida was hard pressed to agree with Orihime that Kisuke seemed very miserable at the idea of going back to his family. But keeping a child that isn't even theirs was something very mad. Before Ishida could say anything Orihime walked up and hugged him tightly.

"Please, Ishida. Let's just keep him here for a few more days and see what happens." Ishida looked down at her, and smiled. There was no arguing with her once her heart was set on anything.

"Ok. We'll keep him here for a few days. A week at the most." Ishida said quietly.

"Thank you, Ishida." Orihime said smiling at him as she kissed him softly.

As the sun set and the world was covered in the night lights of Ryūsei no Machi, Kisuke lay on the floor awake was ever. He couldn't sleep at all since he had barged through Yoruichi and her parents talking about him.

"Yoruichi?" He asked as he faced her bed. But Yoruichi was already fast asleep in her bed. It was no use trying to wake her up, so Kisuke just lay on the floor under a warm blanket, and stared out the window. What was going to happen now? Would Ishida and Orihime really keep him here? Or would they take him back to his own mother and father? When Yoruichis mother hugged him, it was the closest thing that Kisuke had ever come to being really cared for in his life. It warmed his heart to know that he would be cared for as long as he stayed with Yoruichi. If it wasn't for her, he never would have survived being stuck with Rangiku for the rest of his life. This thought made him smile as he drifted off to sleep; Dreaming of a warm home and a peaceful life with Yoruichi.

The next day came with a jolt as Ishida burst through the door. Kisuke lurched forward and almost fell forward. Yoruichi also woke with a jolt, but she was quick to grab a pillow and hurl it at Ishida with deadly aim.

"You're supposed to knock first, dad!" She yelled as she slammed the door. "Jeeze, it's like he is trying to get on my nerves." She said laughing quietly. Kisuke knew that Yoruichi loved her dad, even though he was a bit eccentric at times. Now, the little scuffles that they had seemed to be just the everyday life that they had together.

"As for you, Kisuke," Yoruichi said with her arms crossed and tapping her foot on the floor. "I need to change. So you need to get out."

"Ok." He said sleepily as he rose to his feet and walked through the door before Yoruichi slammed it shut. Kisuke thought that he heard her say, "Boys!" behind the door, but brushed it off as he made his way to the dining room. Orihime was already making a very large breakfast for the four of them while Ishida was sipping a cup of tea. Kisuke sat on the same side that he had yesterday next to Yoruichi.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Ishida said as he sat down next to Yoruichis spot on the table. "Are you ready for today?"

"What's going on today?" Kisuke asked looking at Ishida.

"Well, Ishida and I have been thinking, and we thought it would be best to go out for the day." Orihime said smiling at Kisuke. "Besides, you look like you could use some new clothes, Ichigo."

"Oh, you don't have to." Kisuke said quickly. "I'm perfectly fine with what I have."

"Nonsense!" Ishida said putting his foot on the table and posing like some kind of war hero. "No future husband of my daughter shall be dressed like that! We will dress you up like a king, Ichigo!" Before Kisuke started to get red in the face once again, another pillow of death sailed through the air and struck Ishida in the face and knocked him right off the table.

"For the last time, he is not my boyfriend!" Yoruichi yelled in the doorway of her room. Kisuke almost fell off his chair when he saw Yoruichi. He had only ever seen her dressed in the same old clothes that she had worn when they played in the clearing by his old home. She was dressed in a very pretty white dress that hung low across her knees with a nice pair of shoes to go with it. Orihime, noticing that Kisuke was day dreaming about Yoruichi, walked over smiling to Kisuke and gave him a plate full of eggs and bacon.

"Don't worry, Ichigo. They're always like this." She said winking to him.

"All the time?" Kisuke asked blankly.

"Pretty much." Orihime said laughing quietly.

"I really don't need any new clothes though." Kisuke said as he looked up at Orihime. "It not big deal. I just need these washed I guess."

"It's no trouble at all, Ichigo." Orihime said with a smile. "We'll just get you a new change of clothes." Yoruichi walked over and sat next to Kisuke with a full plate in front of her. Kisuke looked at her and blushed as she smiled at him and said good morning.

Breakfast was over quickly. When they had all finished eating, Ishida had run down stairs to make sure that shop was locked up, and Yoruichi strode back to her room to grab her small purse that she carried with her whenever they went out for the day, which left Kisuke sitting at the table in the dining room with Orihime. It wasn't very awkward for him, though he was eager to get going.

"She looks beautiful, doesn't she, Ichigo?" Orihime asked behind Kisuke.

"Uh . . . yeah. She looks great." Kisuke said awkwardly. Kisuke didn't know where this was going, but when he looked at Orihime, she just smiled and winked at him.

"Ok! Are we ready to go?" Ishida asked at the feet of the stairs.

"Yep!" Yoruichi said walking out of her bedroom door. Kisuke was again awestruck at the sight of Yoruichi. Before he realized how long he had been staring at her she grabbed his hand and asked Kisuke if he was ready to go.

"Uh . . . Yeah! Let's go!" He said grinning her.

All four of them were ready to go as they left the little flower shop while Ishida locked the door behind them. It was a very bright and sunny day as the four of them walked through the different shops and stores that sold a variety of food, sweets, and so on. The entire time they were walking through the streets of lower Ryūsei no Machi, Yoruichi never let go of Kisukes hand. So in turn, Kisuke was dragged through every store that Yoruichi pulled him into. But Kisuke was happy. He was glad to be walking through a new place every few minutes, but the real joy of the trip was being able to spend it with Yoruichi. After a few hours, Orihime had asked Yoruichi to come with her to pick out some tapestries while Ishida took Ichigo to a small clothing tailor to pick out some "clothes for a king". As Kisuke walked with Ishida, there was a long silence before Ishida broke it by asking Kisuke a very awkward question.

"So how many kids do you plan to have when you get married to my daughter?" He asked with a goofy grin. Kisuke blushed very red when Ishida looked at him. But Ishida just laughed as he put his hand on Kisukes shoulder. "I'm only joking kiddo. Lighten up a bit."

"Sorry, sir." Kisuke said looking at the ground.

"And you can call me by my name, ya know?" Ishida said with a smile. "Yoruichi has told us a lot about you, Ichigo."

"Like what?" Kisuke asked politely.

"Well, she told us that you guys have been friends for a long time now, even though we already knew that from when she first told us when you guys met. It's nice to know that Yoruichi has a friend like you. She really likes you, ya know?"

"Really?"

"Oh yeah." Ishida said with a smile. "She talks about you all the time. And she always wants to go out and hang out with you. But I must admit, Orihime and I were a little surprised to actually get to see you for the first time yesterday. And we were even more surprised at how good mannered you are too." With that last comment, Ishida gave Kisuke a small nudge, and Kisuke just smiled and thanked him.

But I have to ask," Ishida continued. "What happened when you ran away from home?" Kisuke looked down slowed to a stop.

"I ran away from home . . . Because I didn't want to get married." He said weakly. "The lady I was going to be wed to was an awful girl. So when she visited the estate that I lived at, I was asked by my father to take through the house. When I got my first chance, I ran from her and went to the clearing to meet with Yoruichi . . ."

"That's quite the tale, little man. She must have been terrible." Ishida said laughing. Kisuke looked up and laughed a little too. They continued to walk for some minutes when they reached the clothing tailor. After some crude jokes and many outfits that looked ridiculous on Kisuke, they finally left with Kisuke dressed in a new pair of pants, shirt, shoes, and jacket to boot too.

"Lookin' good there, Ichigo!" Ishida said grinning at Kisuke as he patted Kisuke on the back. "How about we go and find Yoruichi and Orihime?" Just when they started walking down the street to where they would meet Yoruichi and her mother, Kisukes heart leapt into his throat. A small group of the guards that were at his house were standing and asking if anyone had seen Kisuke. Kisuke then ran behind Ishida and tried to hide as best he could. The guards did not see him, but Ishida was curious as to why Kisuke was hiding from the royal guard.

"What's up, Kisuke?" Ishida asked.

"Those men are part of my father's guard." Kisuke said quietly. Ishida knew right then and there who he was dealing with. Kisuke, the son of the War Lord Byakuya and The Lady Rukia was who he had met, and who was cowering with fear behind him.

"Your name isn't Ichigo, is it?" Ishida asked Kisuke quietly. Kisuke only looked at Ishida with panic stricken eyes. Kisuke knew that Ishida found out in that moment that Kisuke was The Kisuke. As the soldiers drew closer and closer Kisuke almost panicked.

"Follow me." Ishida said quietly. "And stay close behind me." Ishida then led Kisuke through a big crowd of people, and around the prying eyes of the Royal Guards. When they were clear out of sight, Ishida sighed and knelt before Kisuke.

"You're Kisuke, aren't you?" He asked sternly.

"Yes." Kisuke said shaking. "But please . . . I can't go back . . . I don't want to . . ." Before Kisuke could finish, Ishida raised his hand in silence.

"Kisuke, this puts me and my family in a very bad position. If we are caught harboring you, we could get into a lot of trouble." Kisuke trembled as he listened to what Ishida had to say next. "So I have to ask you. And you need to be completely honest with me Kisuke. Do you want to go back?"

"No!" Kisuke said sobbing slightly.

"Do you trust me and Orihime and Yoruichi?"

"Yes."

"Ok then. We'll have to make you look less like yourself, but we'll manage." Ishida said smiling.

"But . . . What about your family?" Kisuke asked quietly.

"Orihime has taken a real liking to you. And she understands that you were very unhappy with your family. And some of your charm has rubbed off on me too." Ishida said smiling. "We'll keep you with us, but you have to trust everything we say and do. Got it?"

"Yes, sir" Kisuke said quietly. Was this really happening? Did he really have a new family? And would he really get to see Yoruichi all the time now?

"Now, let's go and find the rest of the family, eh?" Ishida said with a smile as he stood up and let Kisuke back over to lower Ryūsei no Machi. After a few minutes, they made their way back to the flower shop, where Orihime and Yoruichi were waiting for them. Ishida waved to them smiling with Kisuke trailing behind him as they walked up to Orihime and Yoruichi.

"So how was the shopping, ladies?" Ishida asked with a grin.

"We had so much fun!" Yoruichi said walking over and hugging Ishida. "What about you, Ichigo?" She asked. But when she saw the new clothes that Kisuke was wearing, Yoruichi blushed and stared at Kisuke.

"We had a good time." Ishida said putting his hand on Kisukes shoulder. Yoruichi then walked over and grabbed Kisukes hand.

"Let's go to the sweet shop before it closes!" She said smiling.

"Ok." Kisuke said smiling as Yoruichi led him next door to the sweet shop. Orihime and Ishida walked behind them, but waited outside the door while Kisuke and Yoruichi looked at all the different colored candies and chocolates.

"Were you stopped by the guards too?" Orihime asked quietly.

"No. But it turns out we have a far bigger kid in our mists then we thought." Ishida said grinning.

"But what are we going to do, Ishida?" She asked quietly.

"The boys' still here isn't he?" Ishida asked with a grin. Orihime smiled, but it soon faded when she realized the gravity of their predicament.

"How can we keep him though? It won't be long before they start going house to house asking if anyone has seen him. I even noticed some people had stopped and asked me what ichi . . . I mean, Kisuke, was doing with us. They hadn't guessed that he was The Kisuke, but they were awfully nosy about it."

"We'll just help Kisuke as best we can for now. We'll keep him out of sight and try to keep him close to us while he is here." Ishida said smiling. "He was terrified you know. When we saw the royal guard in front of us, I led him aside from them and asked who he really was. But you were right, Orihime. He doesn't want to go back. He may be just a child, but I think it better that he was with us then with his parents."

The thought of keeping Kisuke seemed like a much greater risk than before, now that Ishida and Orihime knew who he really was. But something came up inside them both as they watched Yoruichi and Kisuke laughing and picking on each other while they walked around the sweet shop. They both knew what was at stake. But they also knew that Kisuke had no intention of going back. Even though he was only ten, he had remarkably taken it upon himself to run away from home himself. They choice, to some extent, was not forced upon him, and Orihime and Ishida saw this immediately. Without another word, Ishida walked up to Orihime and kissed her softly. They had finally decided, for Kisukes sake, that they would keep him for as long as he would stay. If ever he decided to leave, the choice would be up to him.

As the sun began to set on the little flower shop, and the day slowly began to end, Kisuke and Yoruichi sat in her room and clambered on about the events of the day and ate all the sweets that Yoruichi had bought from the sweet shop just hours before they came home. For the moment, the world seemed at peace as Kisuke was about to slip into a deep slumber.

"Kisuke?" Yoruichi asked from her bed.

"Yeah?" He answered sleepily.

"I hope you can stay here. It's nice having someone like you around all the time."

"Th-thanks Yoruichi. Do you think your parents will let me stay?" A small giggle made Kisuke look up as he saw Yoruichi laughing at him.

"My mom and dad already like you. I'm sure they will let you stay, Kisuke." Kisuke smiled at Yoruichi at this comment before resting his head once again and falling deep asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the rights to any Bleach characters and so forth.

The third day of Kisukes disappearance was now dawning at the estate where Byakuya and Rukia had been waiting for the news on the whereabouts of their son. But when the last of the guards turned up just the day before with little or no news of Kisuke being found, Rukia began to fear the worst. She began to fear that they may never see Kisuke again. Byakuya was, if you can believe it, just as worried. But his mind was elsewhere as no new reports came to them.

"What if he really is gone, Byakuya? Our only son . . . lost or . . . or . . ." Rukia began as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"I'm sure he will turn up, Rukia. He may have just gone off into the clearing for a while and couldn't find his way back." Byakuya said quietly.

"He has always found his way back before, Byakuya! This time would be no different! I fear something awful has happened to him!" She yelled.

"I'm sure he is somewhere, Rukia. But I'm also troubled with another thought."

"How can you think of anything else but our own son going missing right now?"

"Because of what Lord Renji has done. He sent his own guards to find Kisuke. But I can't fathom why. And he also said that if his own men could not find him, then no one else would. That is what troubles me." Byakuya looked at Rukia with cold concern as she sobbed quietly between her hands.

"What if that bastard killed Kisuke!? What if he has something to do with this?" She yelled as she strode angrily over to Byakuya.

"Lord Renji knows that that action would start a war with our people and his. He would not dare do such a thing. But what troubles me is the fact that he had to lie about finding some of Kisukes clothes. I think there something much bigger happening here."

"I don't want to think about him! What about Kisuke? What about our son? He wouldn't just run off into the blue for no reason!"

"I don't know. All I know is that our son is missing. And we will wait until he turns up. I'm sure he is fine."

"How can you be so sure, Byakuya!? He could be dead somewhere, and we would not know the wiser! We need to find him!" Rukia had just finished her sentence when one of the royal guards knocked on the door of the office.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked angrily.

"An update sir. We have no new news of the whereabouts of Master Kisuke. We believe that he may be somewhere in Ryūsei no Machi, but nothing has been confirmed." The guard said stiffly.

"Leave us." Byakuya said as he moved to hold Rukia. "We'll find him."

"But why would he leave?" She asked through tearing eyes. "Is it because of us? Have we not been good to him?"

"I don't know, Rukia. I just don't know."

As the next few days rolled on with no sign of Kisuke anywhere, Byakuya and Rukia worries only heightened as they waited for new news of their some. They had heard some reports that Kisuke had been sighted in town with a girl by the flower shop, but when asked who he was, he would say that his name was Ichigo and quickly walk away. Other reports say that he has been in the city, but where exactly, they did not know. This only worried Rukia more as she wept in the lonely halls of the estate for the next few days.

On the fifth day of Kisukes disappearance, Byakuya was becoming restless, even paranoid at the idea that his son could not be found. A cold chill ran through his body as he tried to figure out why Kisuke was gone. But even more so, the fact that Lord Renji may have had a hand in everything that was going on. The thought had occurred to him many times that maybe Renji was behind Kisuke being gone. That maybe Renji wanted Byakuya to start a war with him. But Byakuya could never figure out why Renji would do such a thing. A war between their two countries would cripple them both. So what would Renji get out of starting a war with Byakuya? Even with his concerns growing inside him, he dared not mention Renji again to Rukia. The entire time Kisuke was gone, she only cried at losing her only son. She waited every few hours for the guards to change out to hear new news of her son. But her doubts always got the better of her when they had nothing to report. Whenever Byakuya came to comfort her, she became very stiff and pushed him away. She didn't want anything to do with him and his conspiracy theories any longer. Just the thought that Kisuke might be lost or worse made her break out in new tears and cry into the late hours of the night.

On the sixth day, Byakuyas fears had finally gotten the better of him. The thought that Renji may have had a hand in Kisukes disappearance had taken over his mind, and he finally decided to see if maybe he might be right. He would send a scout over to Renjis estate to see if there was anything that he might say about Kisuke it would only be another few days until he would find out, but Byakuya had to know. If Renji had nothing to do with Kisuke being gone, then he would drop the whole thing and focus on only finding Kisuke. That was his hope. So in the early hours of the day, Byakuya sent the scout to see what he could find out about Renji. As soon as he was gone, Byakuya walked back into the house and was met by Rukia.

"What was that all about?" She asked wearily.

"I have sent a scout to check with Lord Renji." He said blankly.

"I can't believe this. You are so concerned with him and this theory that he may have a hand in Kisuke being gone, that you can't even go out and try to find him yourself!"

"I have to be sure, Rukia. I fear more for the fate of Ryūsei no Machi if Renji may have a hand in this."

"So you don't even care about Kisuke!? How can you turn your back on our son like that!?" She yelled.

"I never said I didn't care about our son." He said coldly and calmly. "If Renji has a hand in this, then I fear Kisuke will be in more danger than he may be in right now. We'll wait and see what our scout has to say in a few days. If Renji has no hand in this, then we will search the city ourselves." Although Byakuya was right, in a sense, Rukia simply walked away and left to the study to wait for news that would never change.

As Byakuya stood in by the door of the office listening to Rukia weeping over their son, a guard ran up to him panting and out of breath.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked sternly.

"We have some news." The guard said through winded breaths.

"Is it about Kisuke?"

"No sir."

"Then what is so damn important?"

"We have multiple reports of Renjis men being spotted in the city."

"What!?"

"Some of the guards say that they have seen three men, like the ones we saw almost a week ago, walking around the city. When some of the men approached them today, they killed them on the spot."

"What!? Where are they now!? Speak!"

"We tried to take them into custody for questioning, but they escaped. Their whereabouts are unknown." This news came as a terrible shock to Byakuya as he realized what had just taken place. If Renjis men had been seen in the city, then they must have been looking Kisuke. Faced with this new reality, Byakuya grabbed the man's shoulder and forced him outside.

"I want you to double the guard and find those men! If you have to, kill them on sight!" Byakuya yelled as the guard ran towards the road and to the city. Byakuya stood with anger and anticipation as the guard ran towards the city. What was going on, he did not know. But the thought of men looking for Kisuke was bad news as long as it wasn't his men on the job. Without any further thought, Byakuya walked into the estate, and began preparations for the city to search far and wide for Kisuke as soon as possible. Whether it would help or not, did not matter. But Kisukes life was in far greater danger than before with someone else searching for him.

But just as Byakuya had sent the guards to hunt down the men that they saw earlier, the three men were already out of sight in a small tavern outside of town. Kenpachi, Ikkaku, and Ichimaru sat around a small table going over the events of the past few days.

"Well, I guess that's it for finding that brat." Ikkaku said through his mug of cold beer. "God, the beer in this place tastes like piss. It's not strong enough."

"It's a real shame. I would have liked to find that kid and run him through for all the trouble we've had to go through." Ichimaru said slyly.

"Who cares! He's either dead or gone! Either way, our job is done. We don't have to look for him anymore."

"Tch, too bad. I say we wait one more day before we call it quits. What do you think, Kenpachi?" Ichimaru asked.

"I don't care. Even if we get caught up in Renjis army attacking the city, I still get to kill some people." He answered sternly.

"And what about you, Ikkaku?"

"Ha! Getting caught by the guards here was easy to get out of! But I don't know if I wanna fight off two armies at the same time." Ikkaku said after downing the rest of his cup. "But if that brat is in the city . . ."

"Then that makes our job that much easier." Kenpachi said suddenly.

"But what if he isn't in the city?" Ikkaku asked with his cheeks getting red from the ale he drank.

"That's not the question, is it? What if he is?" Ichimaru said grinning. "I say we stay long enough to find out if he is here. When the army comes, the confusion will be sure to scare him enough to run back home to mommy and daddy."

"Then what? We just kill him on the spot?" Ikkaku piped up.

"Yep. I say we stay. Kenpachi?"

"I'm in. I haven't been in a good brawl for a long time."

"And you, Ikkaku?"

"Ah the hell with it. But once shit really hits the fan, I say we split."

"Then it's decided. We'll stay long enough to try to find him again. After that, we take off and say good bye to ol' Ryūsei no Machi." Ichimaru said as he sipped his liquor with an evil sneer.

"But I gotta ask, Ichimaru." Ikkaku asked plainly. "Why should we stay and kill him? We're already getting paid by the day. So why stay and get a little extra cash for it? Hell, it won't even matter if Renjis army is on its way. What that point?"

"Because Renji wants to send a message to Lord Byakuya and to the people of Ryūsei no Machi. By killing Kisuke, Renji becomes an enemy of Byakuya, which will give Byakuya a reason to attack Renji for having killed his only son. With Kisuke gone, Byakuya will have no heir to the throne once Rukias father is gone. Therefore, the throne is free for the taking once Byakuya and Lady Rukia are dead. When both of them are dead, Renji plans on killing the last remaining person in charge. Rukias father. With him dead, Renji will take over Ryūsei no Machi, and the people will have to swear fealty to him. What happens after that, I don't know."

"But why is Renji attacking if Kisuke is still alive? And for that matter, why so soon? And why have Kisuke killed and have Byakuya attack him?" Ikkaku asked.

"Weren't you listening? Renji wants Byakuya to have a reason to attack him because of his son being killed. What Renji wants, is for Byakuya, the big bad war lord, to look weak in front of his people. Think about it. Byakuyas son is killed, and out of his grief, he blames the only person that was there to blame. But because he is so 'grief-stricken' he is not able to get his troops ready to defend his own city, because he is too busy looking for his long lost son. Therefore, his people lose faith in him, and are more compliant to follow Renji. It's all a big mind game to win the people over as quickly as possible so that they are easier to control later down the road. Make Byakuya look weak with his son killed, and then kill the only rulers of the city with Rukia and her father."

"But what if Kisuke comes back?" Kenpachi added blankly.

"Please, Kenpachi. That brat isn't coming back. And even if he did, there's no way the people of Ryūsei no Machi would follow him. It's all part of the plan."

"That's pretty sinister, Ichimaru." Ikkaku said grinning. "That Renji is one sick guy."

"That's why I say we stay and kill the brat just to make sure. After that, I say we split and leave this place behind for good. I don't know what Renji has planned, but it's going to be bad news for anyone who is stuck here once his troops show up." Ichimaru said grinning as he took the last swig of liquor from his glass. When he was finished, Ichimaru stood up and began to walk towards his rented room. But not before Kenpachi stopped him with a question.

"Ichimaru." He said sternly.

"Yes, Kenpachi?" Ichimaru answered with a smile.

"How do you know all this?" Ichimaru looked at Kenpachi and grinned before simply walking away. As he walked away, Kenpachi became very agitated at him for answering the question.

"There's a lot more going on here then he is letting off." Kenpachi said glaring at Ikkaku.

"What makes you say that, Kenny?" Ikkaku said half drunk and weaving from side to side in his chair.

"He didn't once mention to us where he heard all of that."

"So what!? He's a creepy bastard anyways! I say let him have his damn secrets, and we'll just keep drinking to our health."

"That's not it. In all my years as a mercenary, you only really spill the beans on someone your about to knock off."

"So you think he's working solo on this?"

"Yeah."

"Well, what should we do, Kenny?" Ikkaku asked looking at his comrade as best he could.

"I say we follow what he has planned. But he might try something when Renjis army shows up. So watch out. I don't think a can save your ass a second time like that."

"Ha, yeah. That was a hell of a mess to get out of."

As the night wore on in the small tavern as Kenpachi and Ikkaku drink the night away, the plans that Ichimaru had said to be in place were already in motion. Far off away from Ryūsei no Machi, Renjis army had already set out to conquer the city by force. An army of ten thousand soldiers were marching down to Ryūsei no Machi. They would soon converge upon the city by the seventh day of Kisukes disappearance. With his army just a few miles out of sight from the city, Renji sat in his commanders' tent, and pondered how the next few days would go. But before he could finish his thoughts, there was a knock on the wooden post that held up the upper part of his tent.

"Enter." He said eagerly. When the door opened, three guards came in with the scout from Byakuyas guard.

"We found this straggler heading our way. Says he was supposed to seek a council with you, sir." Said the first guard.

"Well, well, well. It seems little Byakuya sent someone to come and check on me." Renji said grinning widely through his teeth. "What brings you here, guard of Ryūsei no Machi?"

"I am here to ask about the case of Master Kisuke." Byakuyas guard said feebly. "Master Byakuya wishes to know if you had a hand in his disappearance. But I can see for myself what going on here . . ." When the guard finished his sentence, Renji simply smiled and walked over to him with an evil look in his eyes.

"You see, now we have a bit of a problem." Renji said grinning wildly. "Because we have someone who knows what we're up to. Because the only people that think I did this terrible deed, are soon going to be dead tomorrow. It seems that word has not gotten out that the ever famous Lord Renji has had a hand in Master Kisukes death and or disappearance." The guard simply glared at Renji as he heard the terrible truth that came from the snakes' mouth.

"So then you're going to kill me?" The guard asked spitefully.

"Oh no, good sir. You have done your job well. And should be rewarded for your efforts!" Renji said laughing as he stood and raised his arms in triumph. "For this, I will say what lord Byakuya wants to hear. Yes, I was the one that helped Master Kisuke become lost or worse. And you will be set free my good sir, to deliver this message to Lord Byakuya. No go. Guards, release him." At his command, Renji guards released Byakuyas guard, and he was soon seen riding as fast as his own horse could carry him back to Ryūsei no Machi. When the guard was out of sight, Rangiku walked up to her father and sat in the chair closest to him. It was very quiet for several minutes before she piped up and asked,

"Father, how are you so sure this will all work in your favor? Do the people know that you really had a hand in Kisuke running off yet?"

"The people will not have been told that I might have been a part of what happened. Byakuya would not have told them hastily. And it is because of this that this whole plan will be woven together." Renji said coolly. "You see, the people know that Kisuke is gone. But they are not sure who did it and why. So what happens now that Byakuya knows it was me? He starts a war. Our goal is to make him look like a weakling and a lair in front of his people because his son is gone. Since you and I are the only ones that were there, besides the mercenaries that were with us, he automatically blames me. But before he can do anything about it, because he is so busy looking for his long lost son, we attack and make him look weak in front of his people. When I have Byakuya down on his knees in front of me with Lady Rukia at his side, I tell the people the fabricated truth that will become the truth that they will know while they are under me." Rangiku simply looked amazed as her father explained the whole plan to her.

"That's incredible, father." She said smiling. "But what exactly will you tell they people when they are broken?" To this, Renji became very cold with a wicked smile upon his face.

"I will tell them, and you will hear it too, in due time my dear."

"But I wanna know!" Rangiku said pouting. But Renji just smiled and patted her on the head.

"We must rest, Rangiku. You will see soon enough."

As the sun set on the sixth day, no one in Ryūsei no Machi had any indication of that a war was to be set before them the next. So as Kisuke slept soundly next to Yoruichis bed on the floor, he had no idea the events that would change his life. No indication that what was to happen would shape the fate of not only him, but the fate of a city in dire need of what they would soon need in the times that would befall them all.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer – I do not own any of the rights to any Bleach characters and so forth.

In the early morning of the last day of Kisukes disappearance, there was a very loud knock on the front door of the estate in which Byakuya and Rukia slept soundly. When the knocking had become too much to bear any longer, Byakuya strode from his bedroom and walked angrily downstairs to greet whoever was in such a hurry to see him. When he opened the door to the manor, he was somewhat shocked to see the scout that he had sent to find Lord Renji.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked sternly, looking at how tired and weather worn his scout looked. "You are not due back for another few days. Surly you did not traverse such a great distance in just one day?"

"Sir! I have urgent news! Lord Renji is going to attack the city! He will be here by dawn if I reckon it!" The scout said halfheartedly.

"What!? Go! Sound the alarm! Get the troops ready!" But even as he said this, it was already too late. Before Byakuya could grasp the severity of what was to become of him, he looked out of his estate and saw many small lights flickering in the distance, not half a mile away from the walls of Ryūsei no Machi.

"Quickly!" Byakuya said coldly. "Ready everyone for war!" As the scout ran to warn every one of the imminent threat that was to come down upon them like a sea of evil locusts across a field, Byakuya ran back inside and woke Rukia with a jolt.

"We must get down to the main streets! War is upon us, and Renji is to take the city before we have the chance to defend ourselves." He said as Rukia quickly jumped out of bed. As the two of the readied themselves for a mighty fight of two great forces, there was another loud knock on the door. But this know was different than the one before. Byakuya quickly ran over and grabbed his sword before running downstairs to meet whatever force may be after them, or for them. But before he reached the landing, with Rukia quickly at his own heals, the great front doors burst open. Behind the doors, was a small contingency of ten elite soldiers from Renjis army. And leading the charge inside the manor was Lord Renji himself, clad in blood red armor with a mighty fanged sword in his hands.

"Seize them both!" Renji shouted as he pointed his massive sword at Byakuya and Rukia. Though their foes were many, Byakuya lunged forward and drew his swift sword from its hilt upon one unlucky soldier that happened by chance to be in the way. But even as Byakuya willed to defeat the small force that was before, Renjis men ran towards Rukia, and seized her before Byakuya could strike another opponent. With Rukia in the hands of his enemy, Byakuya ran towards her captives. But even as he did so, Renji ran behind him and attempted to strike him down. Byakuya heard the massive footsteps that would carry his own death, and quickly ducked out of the way before Renjis blow stuck him. With both Lords standing face to face, Renji began to speak.

"Well, well, well. Lord Byakuya. This is hardly the proper way to treat a fellow guest in your own home." Renji said with an evil sneer. "So tell me, has Master Kisuke been found yet? Or are you still searching for him?"

"As it would seem, my thoughts about you were right, Lord Renji." Byakuya said with a scowl.

"Who me? And Kisuke? Hardly. I guess I will tell you the truth since you're so dying to hear it. Yes, I sent my mercenaries to find your son and kill him. But it may come as somewhat of a relief to you that we were not the ones that killed him."

"Then why have taken to killing my people and taking the city? What's the point of taking Ryūsei no Machi for yourself?"

"It's quite simple really." Renji began. "Power. I want power. I need it to a certain extent. I knew that if I killed your son, you would start a war with me. But I knew that if you had time, you would crush me, ever so easily in fact, and I would have to swear loyalty to you. But I didn't want that at all. So I devised a plan to offer my daughter to your son, and 'join' the two greatest powers in the world, but that was never my intention. And now, Lord Byakuya, your city will fall. The people will hate and despise you when I'm done with this city."

"The people will never follow you, you sick bastard!" Rukia yelled through clenched teeth. But Renji only smiled and looked at Byakuya with a look of pure malice.

"You two are coming with me." Renji said coldly. "Your city is already in ruin. And they will be waiting to hear from their new leader. Bring them both, and take Byakuyas weapon from him. I would advise both of you not to make too much of a ruckus. I would hate for you two to suddenly drop dead by my soldiers hands." With that, Renji lead both Byakuya and Rukia out of the estate, and down the long road to the center of the city. As they walked, Byakuya and Rukia saw the whole extent of what had transpired before they could do anything to stop this terrible tide. Buildings had been set fire by the many soldiers that were now rounding up the last of the surviving citizens within the city. And those few that were left alive to see what was to happen to Byakuya and Rukia now tripped and stumbled on the mass of bodies that littered the ground. Soldiers and common folk alike were now walking with their hands raised in the air in defeat. The city had fallen faster than anyone thought was possible.

By the time Byakuya had seen the lights in the distance, the city had already been taken. Renji had ordered his men to sack the city as he took a small force of soldiers with him to capture Byakuya and Lady Rukia. As Renji left with his men, his soldiers stormed the gates of the city and killed anyone who stood in their path. Though Ryūsei no Machi was never completely defenseless, the wave of soldiers that broke through their ranks was too fierce to stop without preparation. They had broken the main gates, and started by killing all in their path. Lighting houses and buildings on fire as they went. to this effect, the screams of the people and the blazing heat from outside was what suddenly woke Kisuke from his slumber next to Yoruichi.

"Yoruichi! Kisuke! Wake up! We need to leave! Now!" Ishida said as he burst through the bedroom door of Yoruichis room.

"What's going on dad? I wanna sleep . . ." Yoruichi said lazily.

"We need to go! Now!" Ishida said as he picked up Yoruichi.

"What's going on, Ishida?" Kisuke asked looking out the window.

"There's no time to explain! We have to leave!" Before Kisuke could even comprehend what was going on, he was dragged to his feet by Ishida and helped quickly with getting his clothes on. When Yoruichi and Kisuke had been dressed, they ran out of the room and down stairs.

"Orihime, what's going on?" Ishida asked hastily.

"The city is in a full panic. There are soldiers everywhere. How are we going to get away?" Orihime asked looking terrified.

"I don't know, but we can't stay here. They'll burn the shop down before we have the chance to escape."

"But there are soldiers everywhere, Ishida! How are we to get through them?" Just as Orihime had said those words, the front door of the flower shop burst open, and three soldiers filed through. Kisuke, Ishida, Yoruichi, and Orihime quickly huddled into a corner as the soldiers came upon them.

"You three, come with us." One said with a grin.

"What for, what do you want with us? What's going on?" Ishida asked sternly. Just then, the soldier pulled out his sword and put it directly at Ishidas throat.

"You'll hold your tongue if you wanna live long enough to find out, filth." The soldier then put his sword away as the other two led the four of them outside. The streets were now silent, except for the small screams that could be heard from the other towns' people. Most of the city was now being filed towards the largest courtyard in the city. As the four of them walked, they could see the damage that Renjis soldiers had wrought as they took the city. When they had reached the very outer circle of the clearing, they saw that a large number of people had already been gathered, and were all standing erect. Waiting for what was to transpire.

The time it took to take the city was very short indeed. Within an hour of breaking the gates, most of the town guard had been slain by the hands of Renjis soldiers. There were some people who took it upon themselves to try and fight, but they were no match for the sheer number of soldiers that Renji had forced into the city. Now, the remaining people of Ryūsei no Machi were being stewarded into the main court yard of upper Ryūsei no Machi. When the four of them reached the inner circle, a terrible sight was to be seen. Before them, was Lord Renji, standing tall and proud as Byakuya and Rukia knelt on the ground before him with his massive sword in his hand. Kisukes looked at his mother and father in horror. They had been captured? But why? As he looked at them, Kisuke thought that he caught a glimpse of his father searching the large group of people for him. As he watched with silent eyes, and his heart pounding, Renji began to speak.

"Good morning!" Renji said as he bowed low to the people. "I am Lord Renji! As most of you may know, I have just taken your city. But, not without good reason! This man before you, Lord Byakuya, the legendary War Lord, and husband to the ever fair Lady Rukia, is not as you may think he is!" There was a soft murmur going through the crowd of people. But only Kisuke stood frozen to the spot as Renji continued his speech.

"As most of you may know, Lord Byakuyas son has gone missing. For what reason, I do not know. But seeing as how I and my lovely daughter were at his estate, preparing to wed them both to each other no less, Kisukes disappearance has been blamed on me! But hark! Did your Lord tell you that I was to blame? No! Did he tell you that there was a war afoot, if his son was not found? No! But in his arrogance, he sought to find his long lost son! And such, I have taken this great city, to tell you all that he is as weak and is as much of a liar that you see before me!"

To this, there was a loud gasp that ran through the crowd. But even as Kisuke listened to what Renji was saying, a burning desire pulsed through him. A desire to utterly destroy Renji for what he had done to his mother and father so far. But Renjis speech, was far from over.

"I have come here to prove, that this man is not fit to be your leader! While he searches for his son, he also starts a war with me! And what happened you might ask? He was so busy finding his son that he did not even think to defend his own city! And yet he still blames me for his sons' disappearance. Is it not true, that I offered help to find him, Lord Byakuya?" Byakuya remained silent, but soon his eyes widened. As Kisuke saw his father, he realized that Byakuya was looking right at him. Tears began to well in Kisukes eyes as he saw his mother and father as they were.

"As you can see, the truth is before you all! Lord Byakuya, the future king of this glorious city, is a weakling! And a liar! And a deceiver! How many here actually knew of his plans to go to war with me? Is it not true, Byakuya, that you said, ""If my son is not found in a week, you will be to blame for his disappearance?"" Well? I am not to blame, yet your leader unjustly blames me! This, my dear people of Ryūsei no Machi, is why I have taken your city. This, my dear, dear people, is why I must rout out this weed in this beautiful city. This man is weak! And his is a liar! Have I not just proved myself worthy as a new leader of this city?"

There was a very mixed retort from the people within the group. Some agreed that were not very keen on having Byakuya as a leading. But only a few people actually booed Renji as he raised his hands like wings in the air. But Kisuke was mortified. How could the people actually listen to this lunatic? This was the ranting of a mad man! And no one but him saw that. He was there! He had egged Kisuke into leaving the forest! But there was also a terrible truth that suddenly stuck him. If he hadn't left with Yoruichi, then none of this may have happened. Kisuke then tried to run forward, but was stopped as Ishida grabbed his hand. He tried to wrench Ishidas hand away, but Ishida just pulled him back and shook his head.

"There is nothing you can do, Kisuke. You need to stay calm." Ishida said solemnly. But before Kisuke could try to convince Ishida to let him go, Renji spoke once more.

"And so! I am now your new leader! You will all bow to me!" As though a stone had started a rockslide, one by one, the people started to bow down to their new lord. When the wave came to Ishida and Kisuke, Ishida pulled Kisuke down with him. But as Kisuke bowed, he still looked up at his mother and father. His father just looked at him with weary contentment.

"And to christen this momentous occasion!"

Before Kisukes eyes, were the last moments he would ever see his father again. As if the world had slowed to a stop and everything was still in the hot air of the still burning city, Renjis massive sword fell. Before the strike met its mark, Byakuya looked one more time upon his only son, and smiled. Kisuke had never seen his father smile before in his life, but just as Byakuya closed his eyes before Kisuke, Renjis sword fell, and Byakuya breathed no more. There were screams, and great gasps throughout the crowd as Renji stood and bowed before the people. But Kisuke, still bowing to Renji against his will, stood silent and mortified. Tears fell from his cheeks as he sat in horror.

"And now, my good people, I take my leave!" Renji said as he bowed one more time. "You may all return to your homes! And good morrow to you all!" And with that, Renji led Lady Rukia away as the headed back to the estate that Byakuya would never visit again. As people began to leave the clearing and the soldiers filed in behind Renji and followed him back to the estate, the only people to stay were Ishida, Orihime, Yoruichi, and Kisuke. When the clearing had been emptied, Kisuke walked slowly up to where his father lay slain. As he approached, Ishida tried to stop him, but hesitated when Kisuke ran up to his father. When he reached Byakuya, Kisuke fell to his knees and tried to wake his father.

"Father . . . Father! Wake up!" He said sobbing relentlessly. "You can't die . . . this isn't happening! It's not true! You can't die!"

"Kisuke?" Yoruichi said quietly.

"It's all my fault! If I had just stayed! If I had just stayed . . . No . . . NO! Why!? Why!?" All the rest of them could do, was watch as Kisuke cried over his late father. Though they had never gotten along, and they had never seen eye to eye, Kisuke never wished ill of his parents. But this? To have something like this happen to him, right before his very eyes, was too much for one boy to handle in one lifetime. Minutes passed before Ishida walked up and pulled Kisuke away. Though he struggled, Ishida eventually pulled Kisuke away and began the long walk back to the flower shop. Words could not describe the pain that Kisuke now felt. The hurt that now consumed him as they walked back to Yoruichis house. But even though the worst seemed to be over, at least for the moment, there was a dark shadow that loomed over them. Just as they were almost to the flower shop, their way was blocked by three men.

"What did I tell you, Kenpachi? Ikkaku?" Ichimaru said with a wicked grin.

"I guess you were right, Ichimaru." Kenpachi said as he drew his sword from its sheath.

"Well, I guess that was easier than I thought it would be." Ikkaku said grimly as he too pulled his sword out.

"What's the meaning of this?" Ishida asked looking at the three armed men before him.

"Well, turns out that Kisuke is still alive. And he is standing right next to you." Ichimaru said slyly. "So why don't you give him up, and we'll be on our way. He as a date with Lord Renji."

"Never!" Orihime shouted as she stepped in front of Kisuke with Ishida at her aside. "You will not take him!"

"You better move little lady. You don't wanna get cut do you?" Ichimaru asked.

"Better that then see him get killed!" Ishida said coldly. Just as Ichimaru started to walk slowly over to Orihime and Ishida, Kenpachi then gripped his shoulder hard and stopped him in his tracks.

"What's the meaning of this, Kenpachi?" Ichimaru asked coldly.

"Well, we wanna know somethin', Ichimaru." Ikkaku said with a glare. "How much is Renji gonna give you to kill this brat?"

"What does that matter, Ikkaku?" He answered grinning.

"And another thing. What's gonna happen to us when the jobs done? Me and Kenpachi seem to know an awful lot for just a couple of mercenaries, don't ya think?" Ikkaku continued. "It would be a shame if we didn't get the chance to spend all the cash we earn from this job if we're not around to spend it. What do you think, Kenpachi?"

"That would be a shame, Ikkaku." Kenpachi said grinning.

"What's this all about? You guys don't trust me?" Ichimaru asked coldly.

"Not at all. And besides, it would be a lot easier to split out reward two ways than three." Ikkaku said. Before Ichimaru could act, Kenpachi tightened the grip in his shoulder and thrust his sword into Ichimaru. When his sword left the host, Ichimarus' body fell limp on the ground. Kenpachi then wiped his blade and walked over towards Orihime and Ishida as Ikkaku followed.

"Well, that was a hell of a lot easier than I thought it would be. I was sure that slippery bastard would at least put up a fight. You just can't find good help these days, eh Kenpachi?" Ikkaku asked with a big grin.

"I guess not. So now, on to the real business." Kenpachi said staring at Kisuke through Orihime and Ishida.

"No!" Yoruichi shouted as she moved in front of all her parents and Kisuke. "I won't let you kill him!"

"Yoruichi! No!" Ishida and Orihime said, but it was too late to grab hold of her. Yoruichi then ran up and started kicking Kenpachi in the leg are hard as she could. But being as Kenpachi was so huge in size, he simply picked up Yoruichi and held her suspended in midair as Ikkaku approached Orihime and Ishida.

"Don't hurt her!" Kisuke yelled as he bolted from behind Orihime and Ishida. But just as he ran forward, Ikkaku put his sword out in front of him and stopped Kisuke in his tracks. Fear gripped him. The loss of his father was more that he could bear. But losing not only his best friend, but also the only people that seemed to care about him, was not something he was about to just lay down and give up on.

"If I come with you," Kisuke said with his fists balled. "I want you to leave Yoruichi and her family alone!"

Ikkaku remained rooted to the spot as he thought about his predicament. But Kisuke and the rest of them were surprised to see that Ikkaku soon put his sword away and grinned at Kisuke. Just as Ikkaku had done, Kenpachi let Yoruichi down, and after one more kick from her to Kenpachis shin, she ran back to Orihime as she held her close. As Ikkaku crouched down before Kisuke, he grinned and even laughed as Kisuke stood before him.

"Sucks kid. It really sucks what happened to your dad." Ikkaku said smiling. "But we don't have a bone to pick with you."

"What do you mean?" Kisuke asked very confused.

"Well, as it turns out, me and Kenny here were sent to kill you. But, we were gonna be snuffed as soon as the job was done, and that snake over there was going to take all the spoils."

"So what do you want?" Kisuke asked.

"Kenny and I have bigger fish to hunt for. And you're the key to getting us to him." Ikkaku said as he patted Kisuke on the shoulder. "Kenny and I don't take to kindly to being stabbed in the back. Literally or figuratively. No, we don't want to hurt you. But we do wanna offer you a deal."

"What could you want with Kisuke?" Orihime asked as she glared at Ikkaku and Kenpachi. "He's gone through enough for one lifetime. He doesn't need any more shock or sadness . . ."

"Ikkaku." Kenpachi said as he pointed to a small group of guards that was approaching.

"Got it." Ikkaku said as he stood up. "You guys got room for two more? If we stay here, it'll be bad news for all of us." Ishida and Orihime looked at each other intently. Letting two murderers into the house was not the best choice they had in mind. But Ishida sighed and led them all into the flower shop. As soon as they were inside, Ishida locked the door and led them upstairs. When Ikkaku and Kenpachi sat down at the table, Kisuke sat across from them.

"What do you guys need me for?" Kisuke asked curiously.

"Well, you're alive, kid." Ikkaku began. "That means that you're still next in line for the throne. And trust me, when Renji kills the real prize he is after, the only throne left will be his for sure."

"Renji plans to kill the King?" Ishida asked. "But I thought Byakuya was the ruler?"

"That's where you're wrong." Ikkaku said smiling. "Byakuya had the power to control the city with Lady Rukia at his side. But all decisions had to be approved by the King first. Byakuya was a means to an end. So anyways, with Kisuke still alive, that means he should get the throne. But seeing as how his is technically missing, or worse, there is no one to take the throne except Lady Rukia."

"And will she?" Orihime asked.

"Nope. Renji will have either locked her up, or killed her." Kenpachi said frowning. "But that's where this kid comes in, and where we come in." As the four of them sat around Ikkaku and Kenpachi, the two of them described the plan that Renji had put in place to take the city. Although this came to everyone as a great shock, Kisuke only stared at the floor and listened. When Ikkaku had finished describing the rest of Renjis plans, everyone was silent, until Ishida asked them a question.

"What's going to happen to us?" Ishida asked.

"I don't know. But it won't be good." Kenpachi said bleakly.

"So what are we going to do?" Orihime asked quietly.

"If I were you," Ikkaku began. "I would beat feet out of here while you still can. We don't know what Renji plans to do once the king is dead, but Ichimaru said it wouldn't be good."

"But what do you guys want with Kisuke?" Ishida asked.

"What we want is revenge." Kenpachi said with a grin.

"We want Renji to pay for even thinking about killing us after all the trouble we had to go through, and all the people we had to kill to get to you kid. The way we see it, we can help each other out. But it's going to take some time before Kisuke will be ready to face Lord Renji. I don't think I've ever heard of a ten-year-old killing a king. Even with help. That's where we come in. We can teach you everything you need to know to take this guy down, and avenge your dad, Kisuke."

"No way!" Orihime shouted. "There is no way I'm going to let Kisuke get mixed up in all of this! It makes more sense if we just run away and leave this place behind."

"Do you think that Renji is just going to stop here?" Kenpachi said glaring. "He's going to keep going until the world is his oyster. You can run, woman, but you can't hide forever."

"And last I checked, Kisuke wasn't your kid." Ikkaku said blankly. "The choice is up to him. He can either try to take back this city, and claim his rightful throne, or you can all stay here or run. Either way, we're all screwed." The focus of attention was now on Kisuke was he looked down at the floor. There was a great choice that he had to make. He could either avenge his father, and take back Ryūsei no Machi from the grips of the real liar and tyrant, or he could simply live, and run from his fate as best he can. Once again, his choice would shape his life. As he did when he ran from his own him to live with Yoruichi, so to must he decide what will happen to him next.

"Kid, I'm only going to say this once." Ikkaku said straight-forward. "If you don't take our help, and put Renji in the ground before it's too late, then you'll wish you had. Renji knows that you're alive, or at least he thinks you are. It may take some time, but we can help. We get our revenge on Renji, and so do you. So what's it going to be, kid?"

The sun was now setting over Ryūsei no Machi as the six of them sat in the dining room. The world was very still for the last few hours of the day. Not one sound could be heard but the cries of people who wished for better days to come. But what was to happen to Kisuke? And of Yoruichi? And of the rest of them? Though Kisuke was not sure of what he should do, one thing still stuck in his mind as the day slipped into night. The thought of his father would never go away. The way he smiled in his last moments of life gave hope that his father may have believed that he could do the impossible. But the day was over, and the six of them had had enough of the red sky that hung over the city before the dark took over.


End file.
